QEF Group Home

About This Project

Cowan Architects was appointed to undertake three refurbishment projects for the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) at one of their Leatherhead facilities, known as Dorincourt.

QEF is a national charity that helps young adults with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries to gain new skills and increase independence.

Work started with the creation of a number of new staff offices, which allowed a wing to be freed up to be altered and refurbished to become a 5-person Group Home. In between these two projects, the site’s catering kitchen was renewed, along with the refurbishment of the residents’ dining room. The kitchen was completely re-fitted with new appliances, improved ventilation and fire suppression, whilst the dining room benefitted from new floor materials, new lighting and a bright new colour-scheme, which together have transformed this area, much to the delight of residents and staff.

The Group Home was specifically designed for young adults with complex needs. All of the bedrooms have a spacious ensuite wet-room, or bathroom, with a track hoist access from the bedroom. All of the doors are electrically-operated to allow independence of movement by residents throughout the home. There is a large communal kitchen, which allows residents to participate in culinary activities, and adjoining this is a living room with TV and audio equipment. As the unit is situated on the ground floor, an external door was installed along with an area of decking which allows residents to enjoy their own outdoor space.

“This was a complicated project, with a sequence of phases where the timely execution of each impacted on the next” says QEF Chief Executive, Jonathan Powell. “Good levels of communication throughout meant that all these phases ran smoothly and to time. The finished design and quality of build is excellent”.